THE BEST DEFENSE IS A STRONG OFFENSE

Promoting The Health Benefits Of Meat And Poultry

Red meat is often wrongly portrayed as being unhealthy. Even chicken has been getting attacked by liver, 625 grams of cooked beef or an astounding 2.4 kg of their meat and poultry purchases. Perceptions may reality but truth trumps misinformation. Parents and other consumers want what is best for their health and that of their families. They are also aware that a lot of false information is out there and as such, are open to scientific facts that can correct their misconceptions.

BCRC ANNOUNCES $2 MILLION IN FUNDING FOR 12 BEEF RESEARCH PROJECTS

Iron found in vegetables is harder to absorb than the iron found in meat as it is attached to fibre which inhibits its absorption.

2. Eat Meat for a Healthier Brain!

Twelve research projects have been awarded a total of $2 million in funding by the Beef Cattle Research Council (BCRC) through the 2022/2023 annual call. Through these projects, the $2 million of industry funding will be leveraged with over $4 million in matching funding through government and industry partners.

This provides an opportunity for retail meat departments to implement an instore ‘Healthy Meat Facts’ nutritional campaign to set the record straight and convince their customers that meat and poultry are actually good for one’s health and that they should increase rather than decrease their purchases of it. The campaign outlined below can have a direct impact on sales:

Start by displaying instore posters promoting the nutritional value of meat. They should be innovative, eye catching and be designed to specifically contradict any meat myths. The comments should all be literature based quoting research papers or MDs for maximum effect. Various posters should be made - each with a brief but powerful message covering one theme.

As an Alberta beef producer, including a backgrounding feedlot and cow-calf operation, BCRC Chair Craig Lehr sees first-hand how applied research improves the productivity and profitability of Canadian beef production.

Posters can convey the following healthy meat fact messages:

Being deficient in the micronutrients found in meat have been linked with low IQ, autism, depression and dementia says Dr. Charlotte Neumann, a paediatrician at the University of California, as quoted in the article ‘Brain food- clever eating’. Zinc is crucial for learning and memory. Vitamin B12 preserves the sheaths that protect nerves.

3. Boost Your Immunity with Meat!

The investment in these projects will ensure that research is being done in areas that directly impact the Canadian Beef Industry and the priorities laid out in the Five-Year Canadian Beef Research and Technology Transfer Strategy.

Due to its antioxidant powers, zinc is involved in creating

1. Let’s IRON out the Truth on Meat!

“You would need to eat a massive amount of spinach to equal (the iron content) in a steak,” says Christopher Golden, an ecologist and epidemiologist at Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts. (As quoted by nature.com in the article ‘Brain food- clever eating’.)

For a woman to receive her recommended daily intake of 18 mg of iron, she would need just 300 grams of cooked bovine acid, vitamin B12 and vitamin B6. They are all found in meat. The line that ‘the best defense is a good offense’ does not only apply to sports. It also applies to countering negative meat health myths. Implementing an instore ‘Healthy Meat Facts’ nutritional campaign to set the record straight on meat and poultry. It is a good way to go on the offensive by using education your customers and increasing your sales.. https://www.mmequip.com

“We are able to leverage producer dollars from the Canadian Beef Cattle Check-Off to support research that truly matters to the day-to-day management of our herds,” says Lehr. “This is important work. The BCRC not only funds the research but develops practical resources to support producers in making informed decisions to improve profitability, keep Canadian beef competitive and continue our ability to operate with a social license."

Ronnie P. Cons is CEO of C&C Packing Inc., a leading Canadian distributor of meat and poultry. He can be reached at RCons@CCpacking.com.

“Research matters. It moves the needle on best practices used across the industry, from animal health and productivity to nutrition, forage and grazing management, soil health, and the list goes on,” says Ron Stevenson, BCRC vice chair and Ontario cow-calf producer, who values industry-funded research not only as producer, but also through his experiences working in the veterinary industry. The investment in these projects will lead to outcomes that have an impact, providing tools for farmers and ranchers to continuously improve.”

• Testing new forage varieties to improve production and reduce our carbon hoofprint. Project Lead: Dr. Ribeiro, University of Saskatchewan